


In the Eyes of a Child

by TwistedPeppermint



Category: Naruto
Genre: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Other, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 08:35:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5490725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedPeppermint/pseuds/TwistedPeppermint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the eyes of a child mother is god...but if that's true where is Gaara's god. Gaara is abused by his father for his failure to become a proper weapon and looks up to his sister and brother for comfort since noone else seems to notice or care. Rated M for child abuse and a tribute to victims of child abuse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red Flag

**_ Gaara _ **

In the eyes of a child...mother is god. That was what he had heard several years ago from a teacher talking to another teacher. Gaara had no mother though...so where was his god? His father only saw him as a failed hindrance...an annoying embarrassment. Gaara couldn't see anything wrong with his father’s concept, he was after all a nuisance to the whole village.

 

BANG.

Gaara runs for his bed in fear diving under the covers in an attempt to fake sleep..."Gaara...its ok it’s me". Gaara pokes his head out from under the covers relaxing slightly at the sight of eight year old Temari putting her large fan to the side. She smiles at him warily though it doesn't reach her eyes and she opens her arms. Gaara doesn't hesitate to occupy them. Temari doesn't show any emotions as she gathers the little one up in her arms striding over to the bed.

She sets Gaara down and lets him go for a brief second to grab a bag and even in that second Gaara feels abandoned and scared again. Temari is going to leave him alone in the darkness again and go back to the normal life he couldn't touch...she was going to leave him...alone, but she doesn't. Instead she pours the contents onto the bed and looks at Gaara expectantly. He knows the routine.

He sits on his knees trying not to move as she looks at his face. Her eyes start to get all watery like some people's always did when they looked at him and she touched his cheek gently before reaching towards a makeup brush. "Don’t worry Gaara...I’ll make everything better like a nurse". Gaara didn't argue he knew Temari was well trained in covering up the bruises and scars.

 

_**Temari** _

Dont cry. It was all she could tell herself as she looked at Gaara's battered form. He was pale, thin and covered in black, blue, red and pink. Scars, cuts and bruises. His face had a small cut on the outline of his jaw and his both eyes were ringed black from lack of sleep. She had stopped trying to cover those a long time ago... She sighed running the brush gently along Gaara's bruises and taping his cuts.

Temari wondered why it was only Gaara. Their father had never layed a hand on Temari or Kankuro. It must have been when mother died and father blamed Gaara but Temari couldn't see how Gaara could hurt her when he hadn't even been born yet. Originally Gaara was thought to be still born and their father had said to leave the corpses to rot together but 4 year old Kankuro and 2 year old Temari wouldn't stand for losing their mothers last gift. They had to take care of the baby their father wouldn't even look at.

The abuse had started when Gaara had attempted communication with their father. He hadn't shunned Gaara but he had played games with the child and if the poor minded little thing slipped up the man would beat him like there was no tomorrow...

Temari sighed putting the brush down and smiling at Gaara. "All better...now you have to get to school and behave so that this doesn't happen again and when you get home I'll bring you dinner ok"?. Gaara nodded eagerly hugging Temari tightly and going to get ready for school leaving Temari to her thoughts.

 

**_ Kankuro _ **

Kankuro walked in to her staring at Gaara walk out the door. He put a hand on her shoulder as the tears came and she hugged her older brother close. He glared at the door not because of Gaara but because of what had been done to him. Temari was sobbing into his shirt in utter horror and he brought them both to the floor. "Gaara...forgive us".

So ...I didn't pour my heart out but I gave it all I have. I myself have never experienced child abuse and its effects up close but I have tried to replicate the effects it has on the child and the rest of the family excluding the abuser. There will be a second chapter reflecting Gaara when he's older and what the abuse has led him to believe and become I hope you found this chapter interesting (I’m not going to say I hope you liked it because this is a bad topic that is a real factor in the lives of real people and it made me cry while writing it) and I will see you next time- Twisted


	2. Rising Sands

 

**_ Gaara _ **

To them I'm simply an object from the past that they wish will disappear. Then why do I exist? Why am I alive? When I thought about this I could find no answer. But as you live you need a reason otherwise it's the same as being dead, I then came to this conclusion I exist to kill every human besides myself. Fighting only for yourself living while only loving yourself If you think that everybody else simply exist to allow you to experience that feeling nothing is better than that world. As long as there are people in this world for me to kill and continue to feel that joy of living my existence will not vanish.

These words were Gaara's heart... or what was left of it at least. He could no longer feel the pain of losing someone. It had numbed to a dull ache, barely a sting running across the surface of his skin as he looked at the dead bird in front of him. It had been sitting on his balcony the last few days with a broken wing but Gaara had refused to acknowledge it...just like all of them had refused to acknowledge him.

Gaara simply pushed it off the ledge of the balcony and walked away out of his room to his father's office. He was being summoned for some reason and he knew if he was too late or too early he would be strangled or drowned again. He shivered slightly...though Gaara had barred the fear of death from himself a long time ago something about drowning always scared him. He wasn't exactly water friendly...

"Hey kiddo" Temari smiled playfully. He didn't comment like she knew he wouldn't and just walked past her. She didn't get the hint though and followed him. "Did you eat today?" Nod. "Are you tired?" Shake. "Alright...well if you need anything you know...” He stopped irritated now and turned to face her. "We aren't children anymore Temari I don't need you to baby me anymore and I don't need you to be up my ass either. I know you and everyone else are just waiting for the perfect moment to stab me in the back so please go away before I have the urge to drive a kunai through your chest".

Temari looked hurt beyond belief and just looked to the side biting her lip. "I'll see you at dinner Gaara". She walked away quickly but he could see her shoulders shaking ... He didn't care...but at the same time something felt so off about making Temari cry. It didn't feel 'wrong' it just...didn't feel 'right' either.

He stepped in front of his father’s office knocking once. "Come in". Gaara complied quickly standing in front of the desk head down 5 feet away. "You are what ...13 now Gaara". Gaara nodded not bothering to comment he was actually 14. "It's time for you to put yourself to use and stop lazing about you failed at making any friends with your peers and even your own sister and brother fear you". Liar. "you will go to the academy is that understood?” Nod. "Now get away from me".

I hate you I hate you I hate you...The only words circulating through Gaara's head. He wished he could see his father jump out a window. He couldn't stand how he looked at Gaara like he was some kind of bug it started a fire inside him again and again that he constantly tried to dull.

 

**_ Temari _ **

She hit the wall again and again with her fists. This is what she got for holding that little brat so close to her heart. He stepped on it just because he was hurt! Temari had been the only one besides Kankuro to even give two shits about Gaara...but...she could understand his hatred and pain. She was the only one he could actually rely on...but she had still been a child.

Why did he have to treat her like the enemy? Didn't Gaara know how hard it was to stick up for him in the face of their father? She was always afraid that if she went too far to protect him that their father would turn on her and she didn't want that. Even if it was selfish of her to think it; she tried the best she could to keep Gaara safe didn't she?

**_ Gaara _ **

He walked away from the office stiffly. He couldn't take it anymore...he just couldn't. WHAT HAD HE DONE TO DESERVE THIS? He stopped sliding down the wall. He knew he was crying...but he couldn't help it anymore the feeling's...he just didn't want to be scared and alone. He wanted his father to look at him with pride or even just to notice Gaara was there! That he was breathing in and out like his brother and sister. He wanted to forget this misery...

He stared at the mirrored wall just opposite of him watching himself as the tears fell down his face. This was what he had become...what they had let them become and he should be angry he should want to kill all of them but all he wanted was Temari's embrace and Kankuro's humor and his father’s acceptance...he wanted to belong and be loved and he knew that even with his brothers and sisters attempts to fill the void inside of him, only his father could make him feel that safety that happiness again and it killed him. He laid his head in his arms and just let it all out then and there promising himself that he would make his father see him somehow...


	3. After the storm

 

**_ Gaara _ **

It had been quite a while since the days of hatred during his childhood. Granted he could still feel it sometimes when the slightest things went wrong but his sister and brother and of course Naruto were there to make everything better. He didn't imagine his life could be this relaxed and happy and even though he had his moody days he always found he couldn't want anything more than he already had because it was just so unreal. He sighed as he looked over Sunagakure's quiet night life feeling a bit lonely.

In the past years he had learned so much from the person he'd once thought to be a bumbling idiot who needed to be a head less taller. He laughed quietly thinking of all the stupid things the 'knuckle head' had done and how much trouble he always seemed to get into. He would probably do stupider things in the future and drag Gaara into it but Gaara had become so accustomed to Naruto's weirdness it didn't bother him.

"Knock knock" Tamara said from the doorway smiling. Gaara was going to yell at her for coming into his room but he just sighed happily. Today was a good day ...hell lately everyday was amazing and fun and hope filled. The old Gaara the one he'd been as a child would think Gaara weak because of his current state but he had been just that. A child. With no outside perspective of the world. He hadn't had the time to process everything around him and get a grip on reality or even taken the time to appreciate or notice the good parts in his life. That was over though. Gaara was happy and complete and accepted.

He was free.


End file.
